Jinting Han people

Chapter 330 Setting Off Again
Liu Hong's addition added another powerful force to the Changshan Kingdom. At this point, Sima Yi's army was essentially assembled.

The next step was to wait for Sima Jiong to issue his proclamation, as agreed upon beforehand. Once the proclamation arrived, they would jointly raise troops and march south. Before that, there would be a period of calm before the great battle.

Liu Xian finally had some free time to do his own things, namely, staying home with his wife. By this time, A'Luo was nine months pregnant and would soon give birth. Sima Yi specially granted Liu Xian a period of leave and transferred about ten maids from the Prince's mansion to take care of all the household chores. This made Liu Xian quite uncomfortable, as he had never been served by so many people before, and he felt rather idle and uneasy.

But A'Luo was very happy. That day, she lay on the couch and smiled at Liu Xian, who was reading beside her, saying, "The last time you were by my side like this was right after we got married, before you entered officialdom!"

Liu Xian recalled that it was indeed true. Since entering officialdom, he had been caught up in one political storm after another. Even when he occasionally got a brief respite, he could not truly relax; he had to immediately prepare for the next possible storm. It seemed that only at the beginning of their marriage did he have such leisurely time to do nothing, think of nothing, and focus solely on being by his wife's side.

He couldn't help but feel a lot of remorse towards his wife. He put down the book in his hand and said to himself, "Yes! Thinking about it carefully, it seems like it was fourteen years ago. Time really flies!"

"Yes, time flies!"

A'Luo turned her head, scrutinizing Liu Xian's current face while recalling past events. A blush gradually rose on her cheeks, and she suddenly asked:

Do you remember what you looked like when you went to pick up your bride?

Liu Xian certainly remembered his wedding day. He got up very early that day, and his family gave him a thorough dressing-down. Then he whiled away the time in front of the carriage, counting down the hours until the wedding procession arrived. His heart was filled with both trepidation and longing, like someone awaiting sentencing. But what did he look like then? Liu Xian didn't actually know. To avoid overthinking, he didn't look in the mirror.

Recalling this detail made Liu Xian chuckle. He shook his head slightly and said, "I can't remember. I only remember what you looked like. I've forgotten everything else."

Aro gave a sweet smile and said softly:

“I remember. You weren’t this tall back then, but you stood there stiffly at my door with your neck stiff and a fierce look in your eyes, as if you had just killed someone. My mother was holding my hand and looking at you from the attic. She was terrified, scared to death.”

"Huh? What are you afraid of?" This was the first time Liu Xian had ever heard of such a thing.

“She was afraid that you would be like the adults in your family, with poor upbringing, and would hit people at home when you got angry. So, before I left, she secretly slipped me a packet of medicine.”

"Medicine? What medicine?"

“A packet of sleeping pills.” A Luo recalled: “My mother told me that if you bully me at home, I will drug you! I will drug you until you pass out, and then I will run away home. Then she will ask the emperor to intervene and make me divorce you.”

"This..." Liu Xian was speechless for a moment, not knowing how to respond. He pointed to himself and reflected, "Back then, did I really look that... fierce?"

"Yes, just standing there, without saying a word, your eyes are enough to kill."

A Luo held Liu Xian's hand and continued chatting and laughing:

"So when I told my mother that you treated me very well, she didn't believe me. She kept asking me questions and suspected that I was lying!"

At this point, A'Luo's eyes softened as she stroked Liu Xian's fingertips, saying, "But as soon as I married you, I knew that Heaven hadn't treated me unfairly; you are a gentle person. So I often wonder, why would such a gentle person show such a look in their eyes? It must be because there are too many blind people in the world. So I thought, no matter what happens in the future, I will always support you."

Upon hearing this, Liu Xian was deeply moved. He sighed and said, "It is indeed my fault. You have suffered all these years."

"Is that all you can say?"

A Luo stroked her high, protruding belly and smiled at Liu Xian, saying, "You have indeed changed. At least you are no longer so sharp and outspoken, and you look like a proper gentleman now."

"But you keep bullying me! Although you don't hit me, you never have time for me. Sometimes I really want to listen to my mother and drug you with that packet of sleeping pills, and then listen to the housekeeper and lock you in the house, not letting you go anywhere!"

This statement was almost an accusation, and Liu Xian was quite embarrassed. He could only vaguely reply, "Um...yes, it's all because of the war."

“Men always love war.” Aro’s tone was a mixture of sorrow and reproach. She gently rested her forehead on Liu Xian’s hand and said:
“I used to think, when will you men stop fighting? War always results in casualties, why can’t you think about your wives and children at home? What will I do if you die? What will you do if I die?”

Before Liu Xian could answer, she answered herself: "At first, I thought, if you die, I will never live alone! But after you left, I stayed at home alone for a long time, taking care of such a big family. I thought, as a woman, if I just die like this, perhaps it would be a failure."

"fail?"

"Isn't this a failure? Faced with the struggles caused by men, they can do nothing but surrender to the war."

Hearing his wife's tone, Liu Xian's mood gradually calmed down.

Although he didn't know what his wife was going to say next, the unspoken understanding between them made it clear. During the long wait, A'Luo also grasped her own philosophy. She was telling him not to worry about her; she was an independent person, not his appendage, and had her own way of living.

The room fell silent for a moment, and he heard A'Luo continue talking to herself:
"It's so complicated. Women only curse war, they don't like it... but women also have their own wars."

Upon hearing this, Liu Xian turned to look at his wife. The sun was high in the sky, it was noon, and green shoots were beginning to emerge on the willow branches outside; the weather was getting warmer. "Sigh," A'Luo turned her head and looked into the courtyard; the sunlight was somewhat dazzling. She turned her head slightly again and said, "I hope to live in a stable world, without losing my man and children. I now understand that a woman's duty is to strive to create such a world."

"A peaceful world..." Liu Xian suddenly realized that A Luo was talking to him about family.

“Yes. Although you always say it's for some great cause, the result is endless fighting and revenge, and the world has become a human hell. Sometimes I think that perhaps men alone cannot change all of this. Piji, what do you think?”

“You’re right, Aro. Without you and without my family, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

"So I've come to terms with it." A'Luo took Liu Xian's hand and placed it on her stomach, continuing:
“Biji, I am no longer hesitant. I intend to look forward. I will wait for you and wholeheartedly care about the people and things in front of me. I will turn the current conflicts into peace and build a stable, peaceful family in this chaotic world. If all wives and mothers do this, the evil flames of war will surely disappear from this world.”

A'Luo's tone was so resolute that Liu Xian was momentarily stunned. He thought of his mother, Zhang Ximiao, in a not-so-harmonious family. Perhaps it was this kind of thinking that allowed her to persevere. Although the world is vast, being able to take care of a small family is a truly remarkable thing.

The so-called world is originally composed of countless small families.

His wife said this so that he could let go of his worries and concerns about the family and create his own world without any hesitation. The chaotic times had begun, and he was about to be drawn into battle after battle, while she would be his strongest support, always protecting their family.

Therefore, she stubbornly concluded, "No matter what you say, I will not give up and will live well. I hope you will do the same. No matter what happens, you must live well. No one owes anyone anything."

Hearing his wife's words, Liu Xian couldn't help but squeeze her hand and say to her, "A Luo, you are my pride."

Liu Xian was actually a little worried about whether he would be able to wait until A Luo gave birth before he left. But after leaving Luoyang this time, everything seemed to go very smoothly. A few days later, one evening, A Luo went into labor and showed signs of giving birth.

This wasn't the first time Liu Xian had encountered this situation. He immediately went to find the old woman who was delivering the baby, then gave up his spot and waited outside the bedroom.

A short while later, Li Sheng and Zhuge Yan arrived. Standing outside the room, they could see the light shining through the paper window, but could not hear any voices. After a while, many people came upon hearing the news, mostly officials from the Changshan Prince's residence, such as Shangguan Si and Liu You. A little while later, Liu Fan, the eldest son of Duke Xuancheng Liu Hong, also came to offer his blessings.

As night fell, Sima Yi arrived. He spoke with Liu Xian, discussing that if the baby was a boy, he could arrange a marriage between his daughter, who was two years older, and if the baby was a girl, he could also arrange a marriage between them, since he had just had a son the previous year. It turned out that although Sima Yi was three years younger than Liu Xian, he was already the father of six children.

Although he had already been a father once, Liu Xian still felt somewhat uneasy. He thought of Lü Zhu and Liu Lang, who were far away in Pingyang, and wondered how they were doing. He hadn't spent much time with his children and was truly not a good father. Even if he were to have another child now, he feared he would still be the same.

Looking to the future, I know I'm destined not to be able to spend time with them as they grow up. Will they resent me when they grow up? Perhaps they won't even remember what I look like, and I won't be able to watch them grow up. What a regret that would be!
Just as his thoughts were in disarray and he was completely lost, he seemed to suddenly hear the cry of a baby, drifting and wafting through the dim, flickering light of the room. Hearing this, Liu Xian breathed a sigh of relief and turned to look at the people who were with him. Some had their eyes wide open, others their mouths agape, as if they wanted to share the baby's cry with him.

In this situation, familiar emotions returned to Liu Xian. He walked to the door and bumped into an old woman who was coming out to change the water. Her face was covered in sweat, and she was clearly not feeling well either. Behind her, the cries of a baby could be heard more clearly.

She announced the good news to Liu Xian: "A daughter has been born, and the madam is well!"

Upon hearing this, many of those present were somewhat disappointed, but Liu Xian's expression remained unchanged. He simply asked in a low voice, "Are the mother and daughter both alright?"

After receiving a definite answer, Liu Xian finally showed a joyful expression. He strode into the delivery room and saw A Luo sitting on the edge of the bed, holding her daughter, her face pale yet captivating.

Liu Xian placed his hand on his wife's shoulder, and the two gazed at each other for a long time before smiling knowingly. Liu Xian then turned his gaze to his daughter, Lingyou. He wondered if it was just his imagination, but he felt that his daughter was much cuter than Fengyao when she was born.

A-Luo was also very happy. She smiled and said, "I was worried that if it were a boy, he might be too weak and unable to be independent and strong without your support as he grows up. Fortunately, it's a daughter, so I can teach her a lot."

Although people often hold prejudices, believing that having a daughter is inferior to having a son, the pure love parents have for their child is never diminished by gender. Liu Xian had prepared a piece of Lantian jade beforehand and engraved Lingyou's name on it. Although it was a luxury, Liu Xian still hoped that she could grow up carefree.

Five days later, on the second day of the intercalary month, Qi King Sima Jiong's proclamation against Zhao finally arrived. As the commander-in-chief of Changshan State, Liu Xian had to bid farewell to his wife and embark on a new journey.

Before leaving, Aro held her daughter and asked him, "This time, can you win?"

Liu Xian replied decisively, "It's only a matter of four or five months. I will bring you back to Luoyang in July."

This was not Liu Xian's first campaign, nor would it be his last. In less than thirty years, the joys and sorrows he had experienced far exceeded the imagination of ordinary people. His understanding and accumulation of life experiences had long been as solid as a mountain. The goals he fought for had long since become clear and firm.

He knew that, until now, he was still a caged bird. After the downfall of the Empress and Jia Mi, he had removed the shackles from his wings. If he could eliminate Sun Xiu on this trip, he would also be freed from the constraints on his feet. But this did not mean that he could spread his wings and soar, because there was still one last prison gate afterward—himself, or perhaps it could be called responsibility and family.

But that's a matter for later.

At present, the 50,000-strong army, holding high the banner of the King of Changshan, marched straight south and entered the territory of the Zhao state.

"It's still early, let's let the new recruits see the signs of war first!" he said to Sima Yi.

(End of this chapter)